A Road Awakening

 

The Journey 

I just returned from a long road trip. It was not my first time, but my first traveling alone. Deciding to do this was necessary for two reasons: to see family and friends and to do a book signing at a few locations in Kentucky, where the story of the book is set. The people of Kentucky are awesome. It was fabulous!  

However, the trip was exhausting and daunting at times but very rewarding in the end.

At one point, I was concerned my car wouldn’t be able to keep up with the fast-moving traffic. The trucks can be intimidating on the open road—let me tell you! There seems to be much more truck traffic than I remember. I suppose the “after Covid” effect has caused so much freight to be moved across the country. It’s necessary, and keeping that in mind, I was able to cope.

Highway travel is not for sissies!

After a while, I could discern the manner of each truck driver. For instance, FedEx truckers seemed to be the most friendly and considerate. This kind of driver will move far to the right when he sees you coming up to pass on the left. UPS truck drivers, not so much. They seem more aggressive and do not give an inch when coming up to pass. Other tuckers are somewhere in between.

Then there are the “maximum prime” truck drivers. You know, the ones (The Transformers movie fans will understand what truck this is). I tend to think of them as kings of the highway, with their massive front grilles and impressive heaviness. They barrel up behind you, commanding the road space. You learn very quickly to move out of the way of these guys.

And as he passes I quietly say, “May the winds of the highway be with you, Obie Wan!” But I digress...

I quickly became part of the community of the many travelers traversing the country. Surprisingly enough, many older women were on the road, which was comforting to this lone traveler. Young-looking, beautiful, semi-grey-haired women who were vibrant and strong yet still independent enough to take on long-distance travel, same as me. I recall one traveler whom I named my travel partner. We kept up with each other for miles, passing in tandem and traveling at the same speed. I never got to meet her, but once or twice during the drive, she’d look over and smile or nod at me when attempting to pass each other or a truck.

It was great!

As I reflect on this, another observation comes to mind. Whenever I stopped to gas up or wander through a truck stop to grab a snack, the traveler’s faces struck me. The set of the face and demeanor bothered me for some odd reason. I found myself wondering if I had “that look.” I don’t think so.

These were not the faces of weary travelers. To me, these were people waiting for something. They moved as if catatonic, robotic, or zombie-like, going through the motions of paying for gas and moving on to the next destination. If I said “Boo” to them, they wouldn’t flinch. They smiled very little, if at all, and acknowledged no one around them. They seem defeated, as if losing a game before they ever played. Numb. It was haunting and disturbing.

I ask myself, “Is this the face of America?”

Call me crazy, but I half think they were waiting for a catastrophic or cataclysmic event. As if waiting to determine what to do if that ever came while on the road. I know the country is in trouble; heck, the whole world is topsy-turvy these days. But are we so disheartened that all we can do is wait for the other shoe to drop? No, wait, that’s not the correct cliché; wait for the inevitable to arrive? That’s the one.

The loss of hope was written all over their faces.

I felt bad for them and sad. Across the vast, breathtaking, and incredibly beautiful landscape of which I drove, I couldn’t help but think that there is a reason not to lose hope. I recall a passage that said, ‘When times look bleakest, there is always room for hope.’ A reason to rise above whatever holds you back or down is always present. Maybe not easy to see at the moment, but there all the same. Most people find unexpected courage when needed. Americans have been through a LOT over many, many decades. Whatever the reason for this malaise, together we will overcome and rise.

I believe that.

The need to roam calls to us from time to time. The road is no different. This need to seek, search, and explore compels us to discover who we are and what we are made of. We ask ourselves if we can tackle the seemingly impossible and come out the other side triumphant. Maybe we’ll find out during our life journey. I don’t know. But whenever we need to call on courage and belief in ourselves, it will be worth the travails in the end.

Here’s to safe travels!

~DaMarie

Photo Courtesy of Diego Jimenez